Monty's Beach Lodge invites you to a rustic hide-away on Nicaragua's gorgeous north Pacific coast. Our Palm-thatch lodge and restaurant sits on a breathtaking sandy surf beach, just on the edge of the traditional fishing village of Jiquilillo. You will relax on our wide open beach, play in the warm surf, and kick back with fresh food and good friends. At Monty's, stay and play, and experience all the warmth of Nicaragua at your place.
Someone once said to me that travelling is partly about finding those things you aren’t even looking for. I never really understood that until I showed up in the middle of the night at Monty’s in a little beach town on the Pacific Northwest coast of Nicaragua and greeted by the biggest, warmest hug. At Monty’s you’ll find friendships from the guests to the incredible staff that made you feel like family. You’ll have opportunity’s to connect with locals through simply taking a walk on the beach, a surf lesson, buying beautifully crafted jewellery or maybe participating in one of many social projects the lodge supports. Accommodations are comfortable, food is locally sourced and delicious, morning yoga is perfect , afternoon naps in a hammock, a dip in the pool or ocean and to end the day with drinks by the pool bar or around a beach fire. And in between there are so many options for day excursions: horseback riding, volcano hikes, sunrise and sunset paddles in the mangroves, fishing, surfing. But what impacted me the most was the respect the community has for Monty and Gerry (owners of the lodge) and their goal to support the local economy and make a positive impact on the surrounding communities. One day I will return, maybe by myself, but I do have this desire to share this little piece of the world with all my people, so they too can experience the spirit of Monty’s.
Read more
Date of stay: March 2020Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
After my 5th trip to Monty's, I can say this is truly a one of a kind place for so many reasons! First the staff are incredible. It feels like a warm hug wraps around you from the first "Hola"! The beach view and sunsets are incredible. The relaxed pace while always amazed at how many experiences can be fit into a trip there. Kayaking and paddle boarding at sunrise or sunset through the mangroves on the estuary, beach volley ball, morning yoga, horseback riding along the beach, volcano surfing day trip to Leon, deep sea fishing trip, volunteering with building a home, making lunch at El Limonal garbage dump community, teaching English or supporting the medical clinic, sea turtle releases and a community tour. Not to mention hammock time and playing in the ocean at the beach that has a handful of people on it. I've been with my teens and with friends in February, March, April and July. I will keep going back again and again!
Read more
Date of stay: February 2020
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Beach Cabanas are the quietest and have a great breeze.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Majestic beauty, some of the kindest people on the planet, adventure, relaxation and an opportunity to immerse yourself in the spirit and culture of Jiquilillo Nicaragua. This is just some of what you will experience during your stay at Monty's Beach Lodge. Add in amazing food and "knock your socks off" hospitality and you will wonder what took you so long get here. And once you do you will be planning your return trip before you even leave. It truly is an unforgettable experience.
Read more
Date of stay: February 2020
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A trip like this has so many emotions. If you’re looking for a way to escape the hustle and bustle of the western world, escape to a place like this. Times like this, can make you take a deep breath and realize what life is really about. Thank you to our hosts, Doctora, Tyra, Tomas, Ramone, Monty and Gerry, and many more. They always had a warm, genuine smile. In times like those, I feel the most important part of life is human interaction. Warm ocean breeze, rustic rooms with all white bedding, good food and coffee in the morning. Thanks again for a great and memorable experience. ❤️
Read more
Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I traveled to Monty's with a group of students professionals for 17 days in June 2013. Although I loved spending time in Nicaragua, Monty's Beach Lodge DID NOT live up to the hype. Here are some PROS and CONS you should think about before staying here.
PROS:
1) LOCATION - The Hotel is located in Beautiful Jiquillilo. The hotel has many hammocks, a volleyball court, a yoga loft, a great outdoor sitting area, and the ocean only steps away.
2) SAFETY - The Hotel is very safe. There is an armed guard (Padro, who is wonderful) who patrols in the evening. Many people within my group slept out in the hammocks one evening due to the extreme heat - Padro was watching over them all night to make sure that they were protected.
CONS: ****in order of importance
1) Food - Upon arriving I told (Monty - the owner) that I was extremely allergic to seafood. Even after 17 days, the staff would still try and serve me seafood or other food that was served in the same bowl as the seafood. The first time this happened I spoke to Tammy (The "staff and project manager") and she said that they would make a note of it. This happened again every time seafood was served through out the entire 17 days. Often because of this I would have only rice or lettuce to eat for the entire day. The food that was served was often the same thing each day (Rice, beans, lettuce, and a meat/seafood). Despite claiming this hotel is an "all-inclusive" there is no food available unless at meal times (no snacks, fruit, etc). Meals times were never consistent. My biggest concern was the hygiene surrounding the food. Every person in our group (12 in all) had diarrhea and nausea during most of the trip despite. During my last night there I had gotten food poisoning so badly that I was hospitalized the next day in Miami (on route home) for severe e-coli and dehydration. If you do end up staying at this hotel try and pack some electrolyte powder, power bars, etc. so you have something to eat - you cannot buy any food in this specific area - the nearest grocery store is an hour car right away.
2) Volunteerism - This hotel has built its success in the past few years as being a travel/volunteerism destination. After witnessing many shady things during my 17 day visit and going out into the community and the two surrounding communities and speaking to the locals it was very apparent that the only people benefiting from the volunteerism and donations is MONTY'S BEACH LODGE. Numerous people in the community said that donations were very scarce and when there was actual donations they were distributed to only "certain people" - often people who could help benefit the beach lodge. Monty's currently has an 85,000 ++ contract with the GIVE organization that makes it possible for young adults to come and build buildings within the community. Monty's has helped "build" a health clinic that has no electricity, very limited hours, and little to no medication avail to dispense. Many Many locals said they would walk for hours to get to the clinic to find our that there was no nurse/closed or that they saw the nurse but there was no medication to give them. They also "built" a community center next door to the medical center. During our 17 days there I saw this center only being used once. It has no one that actually runs it, despite Monty and Gerry saying it has ongoing English classes, etc. It is filled with donations that are not being used or dispersed. While I was there Monty's and GIVE was working on building a pop bottle school. The communities already have several schools in the area and many locals said that this was a worthless project as there will probably be no funds at the end of it to pay for a teacher - which will result in this building being useless like all the other building Monty's has profited off of. While these "projects" are being worked on it should be noted that these communities have NO WATER, NO TRASH COLLECTION, NO WASHROOMS, AND VERY LIMITED WORK. The most disturbing thing I saw was when Gerry brought us to the "DUMP". Monty's charges 200.00 and you travel to 35 miles away to an area that was hit hard by a hurricane in 1999. The 200.00 is said to go towards food so that you can buy, cook, and serve a meal to the families still living in the dump. First off the low quality food they bought only cost 90.00 (the other 110.00 was profit to Gerry and Monty) and then they bring you to this dump, which isn't really a dump at all. Families live in "homes" that are very similar to those next door to Monty's in Jiqililillo, the dump is actually quite far away from the residential area. We then set up our food prep area in an concrete open air community center that had been donated by OPERATION NICARAGUA. The slop that we served those people made me sick to my stomach. They lined up and pushed and shoved to get 1 cup of slop in their dirty bucket. It reminded me of a scene from Schindler's List. Gerry then showed up and told us what an amazing place this was and the great work Montys was doing. The only thing Monty's was doing at the dump was exploiting the people who lived there for his own benefit and teaching them to act like savages and rely on one donated meal every two weeks. Gerry then proceeded to tell us that this immediate plans for the community center included an COMPUTER CAFE!!! (within the next few months) Let me remind you that these people have little to no food, no water, no trash collection, and no washrooms. I was mortified. Overall Gerry (a local) and Monty (a former school teacher from Vancouver) are nothing more then two very greedy men who are profiting and exploiting the local people. On their website they say "Change the World" there actual motto should be "OPPRESS" as that's what is making them profitable.
3) Owners and Management -This hotel is so poorly run. Make sure you get a quote on your rooms before getting there as they do not seem to have a set "rate" set up. We stayed in a 2-twin bed room for 80.00 a night, that was also rented out for 20.00 a night to another lady and 25.00 a night to another lady. They nickel and dime you for everything at this hotel including Internet (which they don't state what the rate is until check out - 170.00!! for probably 10 hours of internet use) as well as 200.00 for round trip transportation to the airport/hotel. The Hotel Project Manager Tammy would often set up extra activities for us or schedule sunrise yoga, etc, and then not show up! We waited several time at the yoga loft after her confirming a yoga class only to find our that she had cancelled it without tell us - usually to be found suntanning or reading on the beach! The owners Monty and Gerry often behaved like 18 year old frat boys. I have never met two individuals who were so unprofessional. On several occasions Gerry could be found extreme drunk dancing like a stripper on top of the bar - this usually included grinding and rubbing up on young girls from the GIVE program who were also staying at Montys. While this was going on Monty was videotaping him, drinking, and cheering loudly as Gerry danced. It was a disgusting and disturbing sight to be seen.
4) Rooms - We stayed in the newer rooms located at the back of the hotel. Our room was not cleaned at all for the first 4 days we were at Montys. Once we brought this up to Monty, the rooms were swept each day but the bedding was rarely ever changed. I literally had to ball up the sheets and leave them on the floor, before the sheets would be changed. Because of the location - sand fleas often get into the sheets causing itching, redness, and swelling. It is so important that the sheets are changed ever few days or at least shaken out.
5) Amenities: Like I stated above yoga was said to be offered at least twice a day. During my 17 day stay I saw Tammy teach 2 yoga classes in all, quite disappointing. Despite being a "surf lodge" Monty's has little to no selection of surf boards to rent and no classes offered despite being advertised. The only option for ocean sporting equipment is a few old body boards. Before arriving we were told that Monty's had a brand new pool, this was not the case. The pool was half complete, abandoned, and filled with water that was attracting tons of mosquitos - right next to our rooms!
6) Noise - Music from the bar was often played until 2 am. Management put no regulation on noise during our stay. This was quite annoying as the rooms are glorified "huts" which means you can hear everything. It was also difficult because our group often hand to get up between 5-6am to start work.
Overall I loved spending time in Nicaragua, the locals were so kind and welcoming. I am so proud of the work our group did there. I would love to return to Nicaragua but I would NEVER return to Monty's Beach Lodge. I do not like the idea that my hard earned money went to a business that is not transparent and actually oppresses the people that they state they are "helping".
Female, 25, British Columbia
Read more
Date of stay: June 2013
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
As you can see from past reviews most people love the place -and come back not just once but many times so clearly it strikes a chord with many people- and a few do not really like it or do not like it at all. I had mixed feelings about it and thought the "3" reflected a compromise of good points and not so good points. A previous reviewer indicated that it is important to really have a good understanding of your expectations before going to Monty's Beach lodge and it's very true. I think it's more complex than "if you just like 5 stars hotels then go somewhere else". I have stayed in thatched huts and very simple accommodations many times and in many cases was enthusiastic about the experience. So I am not writing this from the point of view of somebody who needs a large TV, air conditioning, 5 restaurant resort in order to be happy, quite the contrary. So, here it is, hopefully as objectively as possible: - The good points: 1) a great location near a gentle beach where kids can easily play in the water -no rough waves most of the time-; indeed equipment such as surf boards is old, so don't count on becoming a top notch surfer there but just for kids and parents to have fun in the waves it's fine; before I forget: there is less garbage on the beach than I was afraid of but there is still some, and there are unfortunate broken pieces of glass: so keep water shoes or flip flops on as long as you can! But great beach to collect shells! 2) great sunsets... 3) A bunch of nearby -or not too far away- excursions with volcanoes, colonial Leon, fishing in estuary or ocean, kayaking, horse back riding, etc so one can fill in several days with activities if one wants to do more than hammock and beer hugging. Having said that, you need to take responsibility for voicing your interests and making sure that everything is organized during your stay: not much will be pre-organized (it's not "here is a list of things to do, sign up"). 4) Location near a fishing village so one can observe the boats going out at sunset and coming back at sunrise, how fishermen live and how the village functions. 5) Ability to get involved in various things: I have nothing to say on the comments that were made in a previous post re the usefulness of some of these community initiatives or the motives behind them; I have not seen enough to judge and at this stage I am willing to give the two founders of Monty's beach lodge a break. I suspect that doing anything in a country such as Nicaragua is not very easy, takes a huge amount of effort and one needs to undertake a 1000 things to see a few come to fruition. But at least many community initiatives are being tried and completed through Gerry and Monty. My best advice is to go there and if you want to do something in the community whether as a group or individually, do something that resonates with you: if you are a nurse or a doctor do go to the health centre and help some people who need some health/medical help; if you are a teacher or even just like kids do go to the community centre and spend some time there with the kids -they will show up just a few minutes after you go there and will keep you occupied as long as you want! A family that stayed at the lodge had a great beach soccer game one afternoon with a bunch of kids. If you bring things for the community centre please do not bring any more crayons/pencils: there are two huge boxes -HUGE- full of them. Do bring paper, lots of it as there is none of it or very little so kids can't draw; beads are a big hit; games, generic legos would be great too...
- Not so good; 1) the rooms are indeed very very basic: bring your own shampoo, soap, lots of bug repellent; not sure about the newer cabins but the older ones could do with a makeover with a minimum of effort to make them more pleasant. I suspect that's not in the cards as the place is used for many student groups who come for a tour of community involvement. Too bad as a modicum of fixing up would greatly improve the appeal of the rooms. Maybe the solution could be to have some "premium rooms" with better bathrooms, nicer -maybe locally made-bed spreads, some amenities, side lamps for reading, some hangers and hooks for clothes etc. Not very expensive stuff but they could make the guests' life easier. 2) between the bar music, the night club music, the fans, the ocean surf, the dogs, the roosters, the neighbours...it can be noisy!Light sleepers beware! 3) cleanliness is not great... when we arrived after a long drive we went to the first toilet we could see and it was rather grotty; rooms were not scrubbed sparkling clean that's for sure; the premises are also a bit messy with containers, trucks, vans, boats, a lot of parked garbage cans; the swimming pool looks a bit murky and paint is peeling; yes indeed as noted before there are dog poos -inevitable with 4 or 5 dogs roaming-; vegetation is not very exciting, tough in that salty and hot environment but in some other places I have visited there is more of an effort to put some flowery bushes etc and hide the utilitarian aspects of the lodge such as the garbage bins. It is indeed a bit of a shock when one arrives to see that jumble of stuff in the courtyard (some of it related to the community initiatives) 4) Gerry is a very polarizing person: either you love him as a larger than life character full of ideas and obviously loving his country or he rubs you the wrong way.. or both! I suspect he has a lot on his plate what with running the lodge, doing the fishing excursions, arranging guest transport, working on his favourite projects etc. 4) Food.. cannot agree that it's the most delicious food in Nicaragua -apart from the tuna sashimi we had one night- Agree that for a lodge with access to fresh fish every single day there are not many exciting fish dishes being served; agree that standards of hygiene in preparing and maintaining the food are below what one would expect in North America but then the lodge is in one very poor country; do expect some level of intestinal upset ... So now it's up to you to decide depending on what's important to you!
Read more
Date of stay: December 2014
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:There are 3 types of rooms: more sturdy ones near the bar and so close to the night music;...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My husband and I visited Monty's last year and had planned to stay for a week, but cut our stay short because we weren't really feeling the vibe. Monty is a really nice guy, but doesn't live on site all year around (or speak spanish), which sort of surprised us. He is doing a lot to help the local community, though, which is commendable.
Monty's was a big party from the time we arrived, with loud music blasting constantly. If we were looking for a frat party type of holiday this would have been perfect, but there were a fair number of other guests there, many who were really loud and liked to be the centre of attention (not really our style). Don't get me wrong, we met a couple of really nice people, but I'm sure if we had visited at another time with another group of guests the experience would have been really different. The food is served buffet style, and rarely at the same time each day. I got super hungry between meals as there were no snacks offered. The food itself was really just average, and the buffet style way of serving isn't really my thing. I got food poisoning on my last night there which didn't make the experience any better. The staff don't seem very happy - I don't think I saw anyone smile the entire time we were there (with the exception of Moses, the bartender, who is an awesome guy). They have a pretty bad selection of surf boards, too, and many of the boards that were there actually belonged to another guest, who was generous enough to let us borrow boards from him. It is amusing that this place is called a 'surf camp' when neither of the owners surf and the only surf instructor barely speaks english. The beach was ok, when the tide is in full it comes right up to Monty's property so there is no option of hanging out on the beach unless the tide is out.
If we were to go back and stay in Jiquilillio again we'd for sure stay at Rancho Esperanza instead. Better food, surfboards, ambiance, staff, and much more space to chill out so you aren't on top of your neighbors.
Read more
Date of stay: December 2011
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:This place is really jammed into tight quarters so if the music in the bar is loud you won't...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
*Beware using your visa there! Read cons for more info*
I feel like we were in an alternate reality or something. We were having a terrible experience, but this yoga group seemed to be having fun. We saw all these glowing reviews, and really wanted to go to Monty's! What we got however was nothing close to what we were expecting. We had planned on staying a few nights, but the night we got there, we booked a ride out for the next day. We did notice that there were different style rooms. We had asked for the newer bungalows, but ended up in some little hut on stilts. The yoga group was in these little house-like cabanas by the pool.
Cons 1.FRAUD: More than a month after getting back home, I now have to cancel my VISA because of frauds from Chinandega. We were only there one night and stayed at Monty's (only place I used my VISA in Nicaragua). I have travelled a lot before Nicaragua, so its not like I'm some ignorant tourist. I have to say, this is the first time I ever had trouble with credit card fraud. I only used my credit card because we didn't have enough cash and it was all they took since there was no ATM. From all the reviews, on tripadvisor and in different travel guide books including lonely planet, we assumed it would be safe to do so here. Clearly we were wrong. 2.NO ACTIVITIES (unless pre-arranged): In emails, we tried booking all kinds of activities, and were told that its easier to book upon arrival, and not to worry about it until then. Once there, there was nothing to book. There was some yoga retreat group that seemed to be having fun, everything pre-booked. We weren't even able to get someone to help us get a surf board. No one was around. And trust me, we waited there, and ran around the property looking. 3. NO ENGLISH: No one working there spoke English (I can speak Spanish, but for some people like my bf, this is a huge issue). I'm not saying everyone should speak English, simply that it should be mentioned somewhere so that people aren't put in difficult situations. 4. NO PRIVACY:I had to ask twice for a key to lock our room - the lady refused at first, saying no, and walking away. Once inside the room... the "walls" were useless. 1 inch holes. My bf went outside the room while I stayed in to check, and he could see everything I was doing. This is disconcerting because there were 2 men from the property who just sat outside our room all day/night. 5. GROSS WASHROOM: The washroom was under our room... and the shower was inside with the toilet. I'm not sure what was going on, but I couldn't stand to be in there. It made me sick, the intense smell of ammonia. It was like trying to shower in the worst smelling outhouse ever. To be fair, none of the other guests seemed to be having this complaint - but they had different style rooms, more like mini houses than huts 6.FOOD: Before arriving I had asked what to do about food. I was told the food was awesome, and everything was on location. Nothing wrong with the food. I thought it was average cafeteria food, my bf loved it. Its just that its a buffet style and you eat when they serve it. No chance getting food any other time, which had us pawing through our stash of granola bars. I got badly sick a week or so after - I'm not sure if it was the food from here or not although - the chicken was very underdone. 7.HIDDEN FEES: They mention driver and food, and stupidly I didn't think to check if it was included or not. We ended up paying 150$ just to get there. Had we known, we would have arranged a driver ourselves for much cheaper - which is what we did when we left. 8.NOT ORGANIZED: I sent emails checking if we were still being picked up and driven to Monty's from Granada. Finally replied yes, around 8:30-9. Then we got an email saying their driver couldn't make it so they would send another one at a later time. Then we got woken up from the owner of our hotel at 7am saying our ride was here... We weren't expecting pickup til at least after 10am! The poor driver had to wait an hour while we got everything ready. POSITVE SIDE: this driver was really fun and we chatted the whole ride to Monty's. He even stopped for us to take pictures with a view of the Momotombo volcano and Lake Nicaragua.
Pros: 1. BEAUTIFUL LOCATION: obviously it is beautiful in Jiquilillo. It feels like your own private beach. And the huts in the background look super chill. Really nice vibe. 2.YES OUR HUT WAS TERRIBLE, BUT THE VIEW!!: The hut was a disaster with no privacy. But we could keep one of the 'window' flaps (just holes in the walls) open with this little stick and the view was stunning. Not to mention, sleeping with the sound of the ocean, and the slight breeze. 3. LIGHTNING STORMS ARE AWESOME:nothing to do with Monty's nesc. but the night we were there, there was this beautiful lightning storm that lit up the Pacific. We (and some other guests) sat on the beach enjoying it). Probably one of our favourite moments from our 2week Nicaragua vacation. 4. ONE HELPFUL PERSON WHO DIDNT HAVE TO BE: after all the cons this one guy who was in charge of payments at that moment (and speaks absolutely no English btw), checked us out. Since we had missed breakfast, he arranged for breakfast to be made for us and put in takeout containers. That despite this language barrier (I have avg. Spanish and he spoke no English), he would go so out of his way to help, made our visit end on a positive note - which changed once we arrived home and got fraudulent charges on my credit card.
CONCLUSION: Honestly, if we would have known it would be like this when we went, we probably would have been okay with it, and booked just a day or so. But we didn't want to spend days on a beach doing nothing, so we left and made last minute plans to go someplace where we could. It was really expensive and out of the way for just a beach stay. There are prettier (from what we've heard) beaches that were way closer to where we were staying, but we chose to go farther since Monty's had such great reviews. I must have exchanged dozens of emails with Monty and quite frankly, nothing was like he made it seem. We think it might be different if he was actually present... maybe things aren't up to his standards when he isn't there? I'm not one of those people who expect to go to less developed countries and get everything as if I were staying at a fancy hotel back home. But I do expect to get what I paid for and what was promised. This place is really expensive compared to other similar places in Nicaragua, and I feel like we were cheated out of what could have been a great experience. I didn't want to leave a bad review ( I planned on just not reviewing), but after the fraud on my VISA I felt like I had to say something. It could ONLY have been from here, since I didn't use my credit card anywhere else. Most everyone seems to have tons of fun at Monty's. I hope you will too should you choose to go there. Monty - I'm sure this bad experience of ours isn't the norm since everyone else loves it there, but you have to get better security methods for our credit cards! Everything else could be explained, or fixed, but committing fraud with someone's credit card is 100% intentional.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2014
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:If you don't mind sleeping in the treehouse version of a glassbox, then pick the huts like we...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PLEASE READ BEFORE BOOKING YOUR TRIP!!! ON MY LAST DAY, I WAS ROBBED AND SEXUALLY ASSAULTED BY A MAN ON THE BEACH WITH A MACHETE. Monty and his staff completely failed to inform us of any safety precautions to take on the beach saying "it's fine, just don't walk alone at night." Nothing else. The kicker was that they were completely negligent is disclosing that a similar incident occurred just one month before in the exact same area. Our group trusted them with our safety & well being. They failed to provide us with the proper information that would have protected us.
To make matters worse, when I returned from the police station alone after filing the report, there was no one around except for staff members partying at the bar. I hadn't eaten all night and I was told they had left aside a meal for me. When I finally found a staff member to ask if I could get something to eat, they just badgered me about not paying my bill, which I explained I was at the police station all night. They did not give me a meal. I arrived alone, unfed, and was badgered about my bill after the incident. The next morning, I was hassled about my bill again, which I paid. ALL THEY CARED ABOUT WAS GETTING PAID.
THERE WAS NO CONCERN FOR THE SAFETY & WELLBEING OF THEIR GUESTS WHICH HAS RESULTED IN 2 TRAUMATIC INCIDENTS IN JUST A MONTH APART. DO NOT GO!!!!!!!
Read more
Date of stay: February 2018
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This was my first trip to Nicaragua and I didn't know what to expect. The trip turned out better than I imagined. Nicaragua is a beautiful country and felt way safer then some areas of Mexico I have travelled to. Monty's Beach Lodge is a fantastic rustic resort. The staff were attentive and helpful and the people in the surrounding village of Jiquilillo were wonderful. The beach is at the foot of the resort and has awesome waves perfect for learning to surf. The ocean fishing was great, we caught Mackerel and Mahi Mahi. The nearby mangrove and estuary were interesting to tour, kayak and swim in. For me Monty's Beach Lodge and it's staff gave me a better appreciation of the people of Nicaragua and community they are trying to help develop.
It may be helpful to know that we travelled with children between the ages of 10 and 16, all of which had a good time. They spent a lot of time in the ocean and the common areas of the resort. They also met many of the local kids on the beach and played games like baseball and soccer with them. You may want to consider bringing a few items to leave behind with the local kids.
Monty's Beach Lodge can be all about relaxation and enjoying time away from the city life. But it can also be about helping a community and making a difference. On this trip our group did both, and I personally had a memorable experience doing it.
Some helpful hints for anybody planning a trip to Monty's:
- Bring a small container of detergent. There are no laundry machines. All laundry is done by hand and takes 2 days to get back. Sometimes it was just easier to wash our own clothes. Consider bringing enough undergarments to last your time at the resort. It is very humid (depending on time of year) and it won't take long to sweat through your clothes.
- Bring a small flashlight just in case the power goes off or you want to read in bed. The lighting in the rooms can be dim.
- Bring plenty of bug spray. I only saw two mosquitoes in 10 days, but it's the sand flies that are most bothersome. Spaying your legs is all that seemed necessary.
- Nicaragua is hot and humid with sometimes little breeze. There is no air conditioning at Monty's. Packing a mister can be helpful. Each room has a floor fan.
- Bring a lockable bag. Door locks are not always used at the lodge. We had no issues, but for piece of mind you can always lock your bag. The Lodge has a manager safe for any valuables if necessary.
- Pack snacks. There is no food available between meal times. There is a corner store a one minute walk outside the resort that offers various local junk food. I found that bringing granola bars etc.. was helpful. Drinks are available at the resort throughout the day, including free purified water from coolers.
- Free Wi Fi is available in the eating area, it can get a little slow depending on how many people are using it. I was able to FaceTime on occassion.
- The Lodge takes credit card payments on site. They also take USD and local Nicaraguan currency. Outside of the lodge USD and Nicaraguan currency are accepted. I found that I got a better deal on items if I paid in Nicaraguan currency. I would suggest keeping some on you. Also, it is best to have smaller denominations as the local businesses outside the resort do not always have a lot change. It is easy to exchange USD for local currency at the airport or outside any bank in the Cities of Nicaragua.
- You will need to pack shampoo and soap. These are not provided by the resort.
- Depending on what rooms you stay in, bring shower sandals just in case.
- Bring a beach towel. Although you are provided a towel for showering, you are not provided any beach towels. If you are in a large group and being shuttled around on Monty's bus, the beach towel comes in handy to sit on. Otherwise you will be sweating on the vinyl bus seating in the sweltering heat.
I highly recommend travelling to Nicaragua and Monty's Beach Lodge. Monty's is a great rustic resort experience offering you a chance to make a small difference in some of the local people's lives.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2015
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Jiquilillo area.
LOCATION
NicaraguaChinandega DepartmentJiquilillo
NUMBER OF ROOMS
13
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
